First Trip Ever with 3 Small Kids - Lots of Questions!

[Figaro928]

Wow, this is a lot of information. It sounds like we are good timing-wise right after Thanksgiving, and I've got a lot to consider for the photo package.

I would like to take advantage of the free dining plan if possible, and it sounds like the best value is to do that moderate resort with the regular dining. How do the moderate resorts compare price-wise? What's a good one?

Also, have any of y'all gone with kids under 5? It looks like my 5 and 3 year olds will be able to ride most everything we care about height-wise, and we just assumed that my son (18 months at the time) would ride what we can and we would do rider swap when possible. Are we crazy going with kids so young?

Both Port Orleans's moderate resorts always get high reviews - but just do your research first. I believe they may be excluded for the Free Dining offer because of their popularity. Can anyone else confirm this?

We went with our 3 and 1.5 year old and it was the best experience ever. Better than any other adult trip we ever took. Seeing the magic through their eyes ... ugg .. there's no words to describe it . Yes, it requires a little more planning and a lot more lugging around - but we found it very manageable. Go at your kid's pace and don't try to do the parks commando-style. Some of our best experiences in the parks weren't on rides (although still amazing) but doing just the silly things - like watching the ducks

 

[thomas998]

We are driving down from NC (at least thats the plan right now), so we will have a car. I understand there is free parking if you stay at Disney - how bad is the traffic getting in?

Traffic shouldn't really be much of a problem. The real problem that you are likely to have is not getting lost. I would strongly suggest you use google maps to get familiar with the area. It is very easy to get confused trying to get from one place to another your first time, Even when we were taking a trip down twice a year I would sometimes get a bit turned around the first day of a trip because signage isn't always the best down there.

As for parking you will get a paper for your car when you first arrive that will allow you to park in any of the parks for free. The AAA parking pass I was referring to was a pass that you use in addition to your regular Disney parking pass that allows you to park in a special lot closer to the gate... generally the closest parking will be the handicap parking, followed by the AAA parking, followed by the rest. Generally it is close enough that you don't need to use a tram to get from the parking lot to the front gate, which is truly a pain if you are using strollers.

 

[DisneyJunkie]

Are we crazy going with kids so young?

That question alone can open up a HUGE debate. I'll just give my OWN opinion, which is that I don't feel kids younger than 7 or 8 should be brought to Disney. I have several reasons for that, one being the hassle involved in dragging around very young, screamy, whiny children (having visited WDW with a mother and her two small children was enough to drive me nuts) and my second reason is that I believe the kids should be of age to where they'll remember that special trip and have their own memories of it. Infants aren't capable of that, and really pre-school age kids (for the most part) won't either. I fully understand why parents would take kids that age there, for the pictures of them with the characters, and so forth, but I think both the parents AND the children should be able to share memories together of the experience.

But that's only MY opinion. I wouldn't call you crazy though for wanting to take them.

 

[stevehousse]

Wow, this is a lot of information. It sounds like we are good timing-wise right after Thanksgiving, and I've got a lot to consider for the photo package.

I would like to take advantage of the free dining plan if possible, and it sounds like the best value is to do that moderate resort with the regular dining. How do the moderate resorts compare price-wise? What's a good one?

Also, have any of y'all gone with kids under 5? It looks like my 5 and 3 year olds will be able to ride most everything we care about height-wise, and we just assumed that my son (18 months at the time) would ride what we can and we would do rider swap when possible. Are we crazy going with kids so young?

Not crazy at all! The age of your kids is perfect for making memories! My kids are the same age an we have a blast and have been taking them since they were 1. The one year old most likely won't remember, but your other 2 will. My youngest who turned 3 at the beginning of the year loves Disney and DOES remember so much! And not everyone's kids r whiney and crabby all the time...don't let others discourage you from bringing the young ones (most of those that have opinions like that usually don't even have kids)

Like I said earlier, utilize the ride swap to your advantage. If u know your 5 and 3 year old are at least 40", they will be able to do just about everything except for just a few rides.

Table service are a great way to unwind. My family usually always schedules an early dinner and it's our chance to sit and relax. Going back to the resort for rest is doable, but you will be traveling on a bus and sometimes wasting valueable park time. Not everyone can, but my kids were always good about being in the park all day and would just nap in their stroller if needed.

As for moderate resorts go, port Orleans has been excluded this past year, and most likely will next year.

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

POP always has a much better price than AoA Mermaid rooms. POP is much older, but it has better beds, and a bigger bathroom. Be prepared for a tiny bathroom and uncomfortable beds at AoA. The grounds are amazing. The children will love AoA. The main pool is fantastic for little ones. Both POP and AoA has good food courts. When we stay AoA we sometimes go over to POP to eat. It is a very nice little walk between the two over a pretty bridge. We only stayed Mermaid one time because they were so small and noisy. We now usually stay in the suites as they have two bathrooms and a small kitchenette. They have much more room. We love the AoA suites. The suites almost always have discounts, but if you are talking about this November, the discount may be gone. POP and Mermaid rooms don't even have a small coffee maker. Whichever one you end up choosing, if you didn't get a package, buying the refillable mug for you and your wife would be a wise investment. We got our money's worth from the mug very quickly as we drink soda and coffee. Bus service was about the same for both the resorts. The walk from the room to the lobby/busses was shorter at POP than from Mermaid at AoA.
To me, the thing AoA has over POP is it is so much newer with lots less wear and tear and the carpet is much cleaner. You cannot use the main pool at AoA if you aren't staying there, but in November, it may be cold anyway and you wouldn't be using it much with children that young.
If you pick POP, make sure and walk over to AoA and take pictures. The theming is amazing. The cars section will surely impress any kid and most adults.
As far as food, go to allears.net and you can check every restaurant for price and menu. You will get a good idea how much you will need for food and whether a dining plan will save you money. We never get the dining plan as we don't come close to spending that much a day--not even close. It's very late to make reservations for November for some of the character meals. Crystal Palace would be my recommendation for the ages of your children. We have been able to do walk-up at early hours at CP a couple of times when no reservations were available. You just have to be there at rope drop and go straight there and put your name on the list. In May, we didn't even have to wait. They gave us a pager and it went off before we could even sit down.
Both POP and AoA have a good breakfast platter that will feed two people easily. I usually get the kid's platter when no one wants to share one with me.
If you have not done so, make your fastpass picks now. Most rides are available up until the day, but the times might not be good. However, Toy Story, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train go quickly.
We drive to the parks a lot. It's simple and doesn't take long from either of those resorts. We usually ride the bus to Magic Kingdom. It will save you time an aggravation of loading a stroller on the tram.

 

[SAV]

I suggest you go to the library and check out the "Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids 2014". There is the larger Unofficial guide as well, but the kid specific one may be a big help to you.

My Daughters first visit was when she was 2 and my son was a year old, so No you are not crazy. And contrary to the above post, she does remember things from that trip and subsequent trips. My son remembers things from the other trips we've taken when he was 6 and under. I am so glad I didn't deprive them of that.

Just keep in mind that you will need to tour at their pace and to expect some bumps along the way with them. They are kids.

Nowadays, the only advantage I see with the Dining Plan is that you are paying for the food up front. And while it says "free", you may be getting a better deal if you take the room discount instead of the "free" dining. You really just need to work out the costs of what you think you will eat per day and see if that equals what you are paying. And then work out the cost with the room discount and paying out of pocket.

 

[Figaro928]

That question alone can open up a HUGE debate. I'll just give my OWN opinion, which is that I don't feel kids younger than 7 or 8 should be brought to Disney. I have several reasons for that, one being the hassle involved in dragging around very young, screamy, whiny children (having visited WDW with a mother and her two small children was enough to drive me nuts) and my second reason is that I believe the kids should be of age to where they'll remember that special trip and have their own memories of it. Infants aren't capable of that, and really pre-school age kids (for the most part) won't either. I fully understand why parents would take kids that age there, for the pictures of them with the characters, and so forth, but I think both the parents AND the children should be able to share memories together of the experience.

But that's only MY opinion. I wouldn't call you crazy though for wanting to take them.

I completely respect your opinion, but here's my counter-opinion. A parent will get the "hassle involved in dragging around very young, screamy, whiny children" if they do not plan ahead, try to push their kids too far and try too hard to make "the perfect WDW" Of course my kids had minor meltdowns - but we were also in the death sun rays of September so that didn't help. Frequent AC breaks, naps, not over stimulating them and not over sugaring them up went a long way.

As for the kids remembering the trip: Yes, it's more for my memory banks than theirs. However, my daughter was 3 years old went she went a year ago and she still remembers the most ridiculous details of our trip, like how Alice told her that flowers talk or the "funny doggy that has the keys to the jail" (I can go on and on) And this is coming from a little girl who can't remember to wear shoes when she goes outside! Will she remember her first trip when she is a teenager? adult? probably not...but I have the satisfaction knowing that we shared an amazing experience together, and I think she does too.

 

[Figaro928]

So... are you completely overwhelmed by us nuts on these Disney boards yet? lol

 

[thomas998]

That question alone can open up a HUGE debate. I'll just give my OWN opinion, which is that I don't feel kids younger than 7 or 8 should be brought to Disney. I have several reasons for that, one being the hassle involved in dragging around very young, screamy, whiny children (having visited WDW with a mother and her two small children was enough to drive me nuts) and my second reason is that I believe the kids should be of age to where they'll remember that special trip and have their own memories of it. Infants aren't capable of that, and really pre-school age kids (for the most part) won't either. I fully understand why parents would take kids that age there, for the pictures of them with the characters, and so forth, but I think both the parents AND the children should be able to share memories together of the experience.

But that's only MY opinion. I wouldn't call you crazy though for wanting to take them.

Amen... I think all children under 9 should be banned along with their parents - because then the park would simply be less crowded when I go there with my family.... and then next year we will raise the age ban to 10, and so on and so on...

Well seriously, I only have an issue when parents take infants during the hot parts of the summer. I fully expect to read some day about an infant that died of heat stroke in WDW because the parents took them in July.

 

[NCRedskins]

So... are you completely overwhelmed by us nuts on these Disney boards yet? lol

Honestly a little but this is all extremely helpful. Thanks everybody.

We're going to go, and we are very excited. Thanks for the encouragement about the kids. I think they will love it and remember.

All of the tips listed are great, and I've requested the "Unofficial Guide" from the local library.

I looked through the prices a bit and I think we are going to stick with a Value resort. It's going to be between AoA and Pop, I think, as I was thinking at the begining. I appreciate all of the insight on the differences.

Final question (for now!): Does my existing reservation have any bearing on my ability to get Free Dining later? For instance, if Pop is eligible for free dining but AoA is not (in the Mermaid room), am I better off switching to Pop now to ensure I have the room booked and good to go when adding free dining? Or does this not matter?

 

[stevehousse]

Amen... I think all children under 9 should be banned along with their parents - because then the park would simply be less crowded when I go there with my family.... and then next year we will raise the age ban to 10, and so on and so on...

Well seriously, I only have an issue when parents take infants during the hot parts of the summer. I fully expect to read some day about an infant that died of heat stroke in WDW because the parents took them in July.

Certainly not the right thread to be debating this kind of reasoning. We r offering our help and his quote was more sarcastic than anything. Go debate that in general thread, not trip planning.

Dude, you and your family will love going to wdw! Don't let the baby haters on here try and sway your opinion...